Thank you for your interest in this story
To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
12
Jul 2023
Yorkshire Water pays £235,000 for illegal Harrogate sewage discharge
Yorkshire Water has agreed to pay £235,000 to charity for illegally pumping sewage into Hookstone Beck in Harrogate.
The Environment Agency said today the company breached its environmental permit by discharging sewage from its Stray Road combined sewer overflow into the beck, which flows between Hookstone Road and Crimple Beck.
Following an Environment Agency investigation, Yorkshire Water volunteered to make amends for its offence.
It agreed to pay the sum to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which will use the donation on environmental improvements in North Yorkshire including native crayfish conservation and reed bed management at Ripon City Wetlands.
The Environment Agency said the Stray Road combined sewer overflow, near Tewit Well, has an environmental permit which allows a discharge into the beck when the storm sewage facility is fully utilised due to rainfall or snow melt.
On 27 August 2015, it discharged illegally during dry weather and sewage fungus was evident on the bed of Hookstone Beck.
Yorkshire Water has now upgraded its telemetry to allow continuous monitoring of the storm overflow.
Read more:
- Volunteers turn out in force to support campaign for cleaner River Nidd
- Harrogate caterer who serves monarchs at Great Yorkshire Show celebrates 60th birthday
The company agreed to an enforcement undertaking, which is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending, and usually includes a donation to a wildlife charity to carry out environmental
Claire Barrow, Environment Agency area environment manager, said:
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said it had made “significant improvements in our operations since this incident in 2015", adding:
A Yorkshire Wildlife Trust statement said:
0